By REYNALD MAGALLON
The PBA cracked the whip on Bay Area players Myles Powell and Hayden Blankley with hefty fines following their post-game rant over the officiating in Game 3.
Commissioner Willie Marcial had the two summoned before his office on Thursday, Jan. 5, for their comments, posted through their social media accounts, criticizing the officiating in the Dragons’ 89-82 loss to Barangay Ginebra Kings on Wednesday, Jan. 6.
The two apologized for their remarks and were fined by the commissioner’s office with Powell getting poorer by P100,000 and Blankley by P75,000.
It was Powell who first aired his displeasure about the officiating through a tweet, saying that it was the referees who are “making the difference who wins or not” while calling for a fairer officiating.
“Y’all saying we shot 21 free throws in Game Two and y’all only shot five proves exactly my point,” Powell tweeted. “Something ain’t right, clearly the refs making the difference between who wins or not when it should just be a fair called game.”
In a now deleted Instagram story Blankley joined the call but also insinuated that the game is being ‘cooked’ with the way it has been called.
“Got nothing but love and respect for the Philippines and its people, but at this point it’s obvious, just let it be a fair game, please. As the locals would say — it’s cooked,” wrote Blankley.
